About Compare Equity Release

About Compare Equity Release

Compare Equity Release

Checked for accuracy and updated on 27 June 2023

Compare Equity Release is part of the Equity Release Supermarket family and was created by Mark Gregory, the founder and CEO of Equity Release Supermarket.

Mark launched Equity Release Supermarket in 2008 with a unique vision for the market.

Previously, Mark had been an equity release adviser for many years and he knew that while customers needed expert financial advice and guidance throughout the process of taking out a plan, they also wanted to learn about equity release for themselves and find plans that could meet their needs – before speaking to an adviser.

Just a year before, the iPhone was launched and Mark could see that ‘smart’ technology and the internet would become central to the way we discovered, researched and bought products and services.

So, when Equity Release Supermarket launched, it was the first equity release broker to provide a free calculator to allow website visitors to understand how much money they could release and also the first website to allow visitors to compare plans from across marketplace. Over the years, the site has continued to be an innovator in the equity release market, and it relaunched in late 2018, providing the most comprehensive range of calculators and tools available – across all digital platforms.

Three years after the original launch of Equity Release Supermarket, Mark could see that a different type of customer was becoming interested in equity release, one that already knew something about equity release and the plans available.

To cater for this new customer, Mark created Compare Equity Release – the first equity release comparison site - with the goal of providing the digitally confident with a suite of tools and services to enable them to compare and shortlist equity release plans that could meet their needs.

Compare Equity Release was reinvented and relaunched in 2019, incorporating smartER – the first equity release search engine allowing our customers to create a shortlist of plans, tailored to meet their personal needs. smartER empowers our customers so that when they speak to their adviser, they have the confidence of already understanding how much money they could release and a range of plans that could fulfil their individual needs.

What our happy customers have to say

Equity release was something I had looked into and Gareth provided a clear service. I had contacted Key Retirement, however... READ MORE

Miss S - Birmingham, Midlands

Paul took all the stress away & was very helpful & patient waiting for Lynn to reach 55. Lots of communication. Thanks Paul... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs K - Lincoln, East Midlands

From first meeting to cash in the bank took just 28 days. Much faster than I could have expected.

Mr H - Richmond, Surrey

Sue appreciated that we had carried out extensive research ourselves so was able to aim our discussions at the appropriate... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs H - Morecambe, Lancashire

A huge thank you to Paul and Collete for their hard work, patience, and regular contact during the process of obtaining equity... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs S - Hull

We were very pleased with the service your company supplied. Mr Sykes was a great help guiding us through the paperwork.

Mr P - Telford, Shropshire

I really felt like I was dealing with a professional who knew what I wanted and needed. My options were clearly explained... READ MORE

Mrs A - East Lothian

Very helpful, efficient & all went smoothly. Rob was very professional & helpful at all stages of the process.

Mr & Mrs P - Southampton, Hampshire

Sara Whitbread provided an excellent service. She enables us to find the perfect offer & the whole process was handled swiftly,... READ MORE

Mrs A - Hereford, Herefordshire

Gary was very clear with his explanations and helped us understand all our options. Everyone involved was very helpful and... READ MORE

Mr and Mrs R - Canterbury

The advice given by Gary was excellent. It was made clear, so we fully understood the commitment we were making. Nothing... READ MORE

Mrs M - Herne Bay, Kent

A clear straightforward and quick process knowing exactly what costs were involved through set fees rather than %. Our thanks... READ MORE

Ms W - Irvine, North Ayrshire

Despite not meeting with the adviser, he was so competent it didn't matter. Mark selected the best plan for us (in my opinion... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs W - Congleton, Cheshire

I want to say thanks for the excellent service I received, Jo gave me help and advice with a smile.

Mrs F - Camberley, Surrey

Before actually ringing, I was very concerned about how stressful the whole procedure would be. Marc made it clear from... READ MORE

Mrs C - Exmouth, Devon

Chris was very helpful and was always prepared to go the extra mile. We would most certainly recommend him. All our queries... READ MORE

Mr Q - Exeter, Devon

Compared to Age Partnership who we spoke to first re equity release, Simon's advice turned out much better. I feel Simon... READ MORE

Mr H - Stafford, West Midlands

All options very well explained, and Adam was very patient.

Mr & Mrs B - Hailsham, East Sussex

Mark,Thank you so much for arranging the Just Retirement Lifetime Mortgage for me. When you see yourself running out of... READ MORE

Mr M - Worthing, Sussex

Andrew was very friendly & professional. He provided a clear explanation of the process. His advice was succinct & considered.... READ MORE

Mr W - Dartmouth, Devon

I can't fault Allen Tomlinson's advice, manner, contactability and professionalism. I would have no hesitation in recommending... READ MORE

Mr Q - Folkstone, Kent

Derek Wren provided an excellent professional service. He was courteous & patient at all times & maintained continuous contact.... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs M - Weybridge, Surrey

She is patient, understanding, incredibly knowledgeable and will point you towards another direction if she feels that this... READ MORE

Mr S - West London

Daniel was really informative and didn’t put any pressure on us to make a decision

Mr & Mrs S - Sheffield, South Yorkshire

We had an exceptionally good experience. Our advisor, Guy Walker, was extremely knowledgeable, informative and guided us... READ MORE

Ms O - London

‘In these uncertain times, John's support and extensive knowledge have been outstanding. My husband and I have previously... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs J - Cardiff, Wales

From first finding Equity Release Supermarket on Google & Mr Filewood contacting us we have been exteremely happy with the... READ MORE

Mr & Mrs J - Scarborough, North Yorkshire

A reputation built upon outstanding financial advice and service

While digital innovation is important to us, we have never lost sight of the fact that the heart of our business is providing outstanding financial advice and service.

Even now, as an established and leading equity release broker, Mark still personally interviews and appoints all the advisers that join Equity Release Supermarket to ensure that they share the same passion for helping people achieve their financial goals and meet our exacting standards.

To offer you extra peace of mind, all our advisers are members of the Equity Release Council (the industry’s trade body) which has a strict code of conduct in place to ensure that all equity release customers are protected.

While we don’t ask for plaudits, we’re also very proud of what our customers have to say about us in the review site feefo and in social media. The equity release industry has also given us a number of awards, which shows that we are doing the right thing for our customers.

We always put our customer first

Unlike our competitors, we think it’s important that you are as well informed as you want to be before speaking to us about equity release.

That’s why in both the Compare Equity Release and Equity Release Supermarket websites we provide you with as much information as possible and all the tools you need, so that when you speak to your adviser, you are comfortable with and confident in the decision that you are making.

That same approach of openness and honesty applies whenever you want to speak to us. If you call us or use our live chat facility, the first person you will speak to is your Equity Release Supermarket adviser.

We don’t have call centres – just friendly expert advisers that are on hand to answer all your questions and be by your side throughout the whole process. How you work with your adviser is also up to you.

Our local advisers can meet you in the comfort of your home, discuss your needs over the phone, use the latest video technology – or why not use a combination of each? We’ll let you decide.

We also think it’s important that you can track your application. Therefore, we provide you with your own secure, online dashboard, where we’ll keep you up to speed with progress and store all your important documents for reference. You can access this, whenever you want to and wherever you are - 24/7.

Whether you’re just starting to compare equity release and learn about the plans that are available, or you’ve shortlisted your plans using our smartER search engine and are ready to speak to your adviser, we’re here to help.